Coin receptacle



July 16, 195? s. E. coRwiN com BECEZPTACLE Filed Jan. 27, 1956 rl' a g??? ATTORNEY United States Patent COIN RECEPTACLE 7 Sylvan E. Corwin, Rego Park, N. Y.

Application January 27, 1956, Serial No. 561,819

3 Claims. (Cl. 232-13) This invention relates generally to coin receptacles and more particularly to a coin receptacle of a novel and improved design that may be placed on a counter or other prominent location where a salesperson may conveniently drop coins therein received from customers, or which may be located in public places to receive coin contributions from the public for charitable or other purposes,

One of the features of the coin receptacle of the present invention is the novel arrangement of mechanism incorporated therein which is set in motion by the depositing of a coin therein to temporarily complete an electric circuit to cause the illumination of an otherwise unobvious sign expressing gratitude or thanks for the coin or coins deposited.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a coin receptacle having the stated feature and in which the described mechanism operates in a novel, improved and reliable manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin receptacle wherein the operating mechanism has a minimum number of parts and elements and which are easily and cheaply manufactured.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a coin receptacle having the above features and including therein a removable tray for containing the deposited coins which cannot be easily removed by unauthorized persons.

The above and further objects and features of the present invention will be more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in the latter of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the coin receptacle of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coin receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the coin receptacle with the upper section thereof in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of a part of the operating mechanism of the coin receptacle.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the coin receptacle of the present invention has a substantially semi-circular shaped base 11 to which is suitably attached a generally cylindrical shaped cover 12. The cover 12 may be of any suitable material, and a back cover 13 is attached thereto by screws 14.

The base 11 is preferably made of an insulating material such as a suitable plastic, and extending upward therefrom is the interior frame structure of the device consisting primarily of a pair of spaced apart vertical plate sections 16. Adjacent the lower part of the base 11 is a guideway 17 for a coin box or drawer 18, the coin box being arranged to slide in the guideway when the back cover 13 is removed.

The coin box 18 has in the forward end thereof, as

best shown in Fig. 4, a transverse cavity or opening 19 adapted to receive a pair of batteries 21, such as those used in flashlights.

Secured to the base 11 are a pair of contact elements 22 with extensions 23 extending into the guideway 17. The ends of the extensions are arranged to resiliently contact the outer terminals of the batteries 21 when the coin box 18 is slid into position in the guideway.

One of the contact elements 22, such as the left one, is connected by suitable conductors, such as 24, to spring clips 26 hearing against the end terminals of a pair of spaced apart flashlight bulbs or lamps 27 supported in brackets 28. The brackets 28 and clips'26 are electrically separated for obvious reasons and the ,two brackets are connected together electrically by a conductor 29 and by a conductor 31 to a terminal 32in the left hand' one of the plate sections 16. The other. contact element 22 (the right hand one) is connected by a conductor 33 to a terminal 34 in the other plate section 16, such as the right hand one.

Each of the plate sections 16 has adjacent the center thereof, as shown in Fig. 6, an oval-shaped hole or opening 36 sloping slightly in a downward direction toward the back of the device. The two terminals 32 and 34, one in each of the plate sections 16, have the ends thereof exposed in the openings 36, and as hereinafter described, at times make electrical connections to a metal rod or shaft 37 extending between the two plate sections 16. Mounted on the shaft 37 are a pair of spaced apart discs 38 with interconnecting radial sections 39 so arranged as to form on the shaft 37 a wheel-like unit 41 with cavities 42. The shaft 37 is freely rotatable in the plate sections 16 and normally will be in the lower parts of the openings 36 where it is out of contact with the terminals 32 and 34.

Located above the wheel 41 and somewhat to the front of the shaft 37, as shown in Fig. 4, is a coin slot 43 which connects with a funnel shaped member 44 suitably supported in the frame structure and directly below the circular opening 46 in the top of the cover 12.

In the operation of the device, a coin dropped into the opening 46 is guided by the funnel member 44 to the slot 43 and down into one of the cavities 42 of the wheel 41. The weight of the coin causes the wheel 41 to turn in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 3, and as it turns, the shaft 37 rolls up the inclines of the openings 36. When near the forward end of the opening, as shown in Fig. 6, the shaft contacts the upper ends of the terminals 32 and 34 and thus completes an electrical circuit from the batteries 21 to the lamps 27. The lamps 27 thereupon light up and illuminate a sign, legend or other notation 47 supported in the lower front section of the cover 12. Preferably the sign 47 is relatively inconspicuous when not illuminated and therefore its illumination attracts attention thereto. The sign 47 may have the words THANK YOU or any other suitable legend or words thereon which tend to express gratitude.

As the shaft reaches the forward end of the openings 36 it will have rotated sufficiently for the coin in the wheel 41 to drop out and into the coin box 18 located therebelow, and subsequently the weight of the wheel and shaft 37 will cause it to roll back down the openings 36 to its normal position ready to operate in response to another coin dropped therein.

From the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be seen that the present invention provides a coin receptacle of novel design and construction that will arouse curiosity and express gratitude for coins placed therein, and while the invention has been described in but a single embodiment it will be obvious that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, audit is desired therefore that only such limitations be placed thereon as are imposed by the appended la ms at s vc ime 1. In a coin receptacle, a horizontally positioned shaft with a wheel thereon-having a plurality of coin receivns a i ie bou t pe phe y, a pa rf upp rt n memb rs ha g n a ed. penin s h qu h, hich said h ft x c and s supp t d he eby, aidop r i av ing c ned sur ac nd said haft qrma y in at the lower ends .Of said surfaces, means for guiding a coin dropped. into. a dre c t sle nt a cavi of i heel.-

operative concomitantly with the completion of said electrical circuit whereby said coin falls from its cavity and the weight of said shaft and wheel causes it to roll in the opposite direction down said inclined surfaces to its normal position thereby breaking said circuit.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including a coin drawer slidably mounted in the bottom of said receptacle and adapted'to receive the coins falling from the cavities of said wheel.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said coin drawer contains batteries for said electrical circuit, and means for connecting said batteries to'said electrical circuit only with said drawer in a predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 100,564 Smith- Mar. 8, 1870 357,372 Crowdus Feb. 8, 1887 1,477,708- Larson Dec. 18, 1923 

